Cleaning oxidation from IXMOO cassettes

[Daniel Schutte]

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Hi everyone,

I'm planning to switch to Leica IXMOO reloadable film cassettes for bulk loading. However, the 5 cassettes that I managed to purchase all contain some degree of oxidation, so I'd like to give them a clean before putting them to use.

Can anyone recommend a product and method with which to do this? I've heard vinegar works quite well, but obviously an IXMOO is a little more advanced than a doorknob, so I wanted to check first.

Thanks in advance

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[a.noctilux]

Hello Daniel,

Strange that I've never seen oxidation on my multiple IXMOO.

Maybe you can show some pictures of them.

On some of mine, the metal used can change coloring a bit but not any oxidation.

Just  had a look, one in black with some scratches showing the brass under , one in "brass" with some scratches, but neither one has oxidation.

Edited July 7, 2023 by a.noctilux

[jaapv]

For lacquered brass: Dish soap and water. Vinegar and salt is for unvarnished brass.

[nitroplait]

On 7/7/2023 at 11:06 AM, Daniel Schutte said:

all contain some degree of oxidation, so I'd like to give them a clean before putting them to use.

Explain oxidation. They are supposed to have a darkened brass color - which technically is oxidation.

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Edited July 9, 2023 by nitroplait

[TomB_tx]

2 hours ago, nitroplait said:

Explain oxidation. They are supposed to have a darkened brass color - which technically is oxidation.

Right. I've purchased some used that were polished to shine brass, which makes no sense for a film cannister with a light-trap door.

Easily restored with Birchwood Casey Brass Black Metal Finish

[Daniel Schutte]

Hi all,

Sorry for my late response - I'll attach a photo as requested.

This is the worst cassette, which has developed this rough greenish texture on the outside.

I've checked the inside of all of them and it seems clean enough, so they should all work okay - should I be worried about putting the cassette into my camera though?

ThanksIMG_3453.HEIC

[JohnW.]

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It’s called Verdigris and is a complex chemical - a mixture of various salts of copper - created on the copper surface by oxygen, carbon dioxide and whatever acids are present in the atmosphere (copper is a major component of brass). It’s the equivalent of rust on iron but it does slowly corrode the brass and it’s poisonous. 

https://fireplacetown.com/how-to-remove-green-oxidation-from-brass

 

[GregNski]

That tells me that the cartridge was exposed to moisture at some point. Verdigris can flake off into small pieces which could cause problems if they got into the camera's mechanism. I would recommend cleaning it off, and also look into the inside of the cartridges to see if there's any corrosion there. The last thing you want is to have a piece of verdigris on the inside of the cartridge put a nice scratch on your film.